Abstract: A thermal attach and detach method and system for surface-mounted components (SMCs) employs a planar-heater which generates heat in response to an electrical current. The heater's resistance varies with its temperature, and the resistance is read to determine heater and SMC temperature. A means of gripping an SMC is provided such that the device's I/O contacts are heated by thermal conduction from the planar-heater through and/or along the SMC's side-walls. An electrical current is provided to the planar-heater such that heat sufficient to attach/detach the I/O contacts to or from a PCB is generated. The method enables the gripping, heating, resistance monitoring and SMC temperature measuring to occur simultaneously. Several means of gripping an SMC are described, including vacuum, mechanical, adhesive and magnetic. A method which employs a heating element to heat a substrate on which SMCs may be mounted is also described.

Abstract: A system and method of data acquisition for transmission line performance evaluation and fault detection applications may incorporate wideband topology from reception of signals to be analyzed through to a high speed analog to digital converter. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, for example, wideband variable gain amplifier and attenuation circuitry may be employed in conjunction with high speed sampling circuitry to facilitate event detection in a transmission line or wire; this implementation additionally allows seamless integration of spectrum analysis functionality in a single data acquisition system.